Daily Gospel Reflection for May 2, 2015

Today's Gospel: John 14:7-14

Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

I think Philip and I must be related.

Jesus flat out tells him and the disciples in the simplest and most obvious way, "If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." And rather than drop his jaw in amazement, and jump up and hold tight to Jesus, he says, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

And that will be enough.

But will it?

I feel like we live in a world where it is never enough. Everything needs to be bigger, better, new, improved. When my daughter has a play date, she asks for it to turn into a sleep over. The play date is no longer enough. When my son has a big bowl of ice cream, he begs for a little bit more. That first bowl was not enough. When we get a new piece of furniture for the living room, we think, if only we had a new coffee table, then the room would be complete. That one new addition was not enough.

And we don't just want more with our things, but we want more with Jesus. Just do this one thing for me, God, and then I will believe. If you could just show me a sign, God, then I promise, I will trust in your plan. No matter the fact that everything good in my life comes from you. No matter the fact that there are birds in the trees singing, and a beautiful sky above me, and a family that loves me no matter how awful I tend to be...if you could just do this one thing more; that will be enough.

Jesus responds to Philip with heart-breaking words.
"Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?"

How sad. How sad that must feel to know that despite all you have gone through, all you have done, all the works that reveal who you truly you are, still, you are not seen. And what about me? What about the times I fail to see the Father standing before me? How many times have I gotten on my knees to beg for what He has failed to give, to demand to know why he is not near, to point out that, clearly, what I have been granted is not nearly enough? The truth is, Jesus is revealing himself to me every minute of every single day, always showing me the Father, and if I could just stand to open blind eyes, maybe I could see that? Maybe then, I would know Him and understand I have more than enough.

Ponder:

How have I seen the Father work in my life? How have I been blind to Him?

Pray:

Jesus, I ask that you give me your eyes today so that I do not miss a single good thing that comes from you. I want to see you in every person I encounter, I want to feel you in every heart beat, I want to hear you in my children's laughter. Deliver me, Lord, from the desire to have more--more things, more signs, more proof. Grant me a content heart that knows you and believes that you always give me more than enough. In fact, you give me more than I deserve. I ask all of this in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.